Malay Chicken Recipes: Tempting Varieties to Try

Did you know I absolutely love Malay food (MALAY DESSERTS). Yep, it's my go-to. You'll often catch me at the Malay stalls digging into their dishes or bringing some home (PUCUK UBI MASAK LEMAK & MASAK TEMPEH). My Malay pals joke that I'm more Malay than them when it comes to food! I've tried it all - Petai, Jering, Tempoyak, you name it (PETAI RECIPES). And I grow those raw salad fixings in my fitness Zen, Nava’s Zen. I've cooked up various Malay dishes over the years, learning from my Malay friends. Not to copy, but to understand the flavors better.

I'm all about spicing up my Malay dishes, finding new twists to add in. Malay food, you know, it's all about those bold Asian flavors - spicy, sour, salty, sometimes a bit bitter. Oh, and a quick tip: chicken cooks fast, so watch it carefully to avoid it getting tough. These recipes I'm sharing aren't your usual ones, they're my own take. Simple, straightforward, and tasty. People who've tried them love how easy they are to follow and how delicious they turn out. So, ready to dive into these tempting Malay chicken recipes? You'll love them too, I'm sure (NASI GORENG & NASI KERABU).

Ayam Masak Tiga Rasa/Three Tastes Chicken  

Ingredients 
For the chicken 
400g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 
1 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tbsp corn flour 
1/2 tbsp rice flour 
Mix all these ingredients together 

For the sauce 
1 1/2 tbsp dried chili paste 
4 shallots, thinly sliced 
1/2 inch ginger, thinly sliced 
1 1/2 tbsp dried black currants 
1/4 cup tamarind juice 
Salt, to taste 
Oil, as needed

Method 
Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until lightly browned and cooked through.
Set aside.
Drain excess oil from the pan, leaving about 3 tbsp.
Sauté shallots and ginger until fragrant.
Add chili paste and cook until the oil separates.
Pour in tamarind juice and season with salt.
Add fried chicken and black currants, stirring until the chicken is coated in the sauce.
Remove from heat.

Ayam Goreng Berempah/Spices Fried Chicken 
Ingredients 
1/2 chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 
Oil for frying

For the rempah (blend into a coarse paste, add water if needed)
1 lemongrass stalk 
2-inch piece of galangal 
1-inch piece of fresh turmeric 
5 shallots
1-2 tbsp plain chili powder 
Salt, to taste

Method 
Combine the chicken pieces with the rempah paste, ensuring they are well coated.
Transfer the mixture to a pot and add salt. Simmer over low heat until the rempah is absorbed into the chicken and the chicken is 3/4 cooked.
Remove from heat and set aside for 2 hours, or refrigerate until cooking time. 
(Note: You can also freeze and store for up to a week.) 
Heat oil in a wok and fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from heat and drain on a kitchen towel.
Sprinkle the remaining flaky herbs/spices from the wok over the fried chicken.
Serve with calamansi lime.

Rendang Ayam/Chicken Rendang - (RENDANG MINANGKABAU)
Ingredients 
1 whole chicken (about 600g), cut into medium-sized pieces 
1 cup thick coconut milk 
2 small pieces of dried tamarind 
2 1/2 tbsp kerisik (pre-made - coconut grated, pan-fried, and pounded) 
2 pieces of turmeric leaves, shredded 
Salt, to taste

Spice Paste (Rempah) 
1 inch ginger 
6 garlic cloves 
6 shallots 
1 lemongrass stalk 
1 inch galangal 
1/2 inch fresh turmeric 
10-15 dried red chilies (or adjust to preference) 
Water (to blend into a thick smooth paste)

Method 
In a large wok, combine the chicken pieces, spice paste, coconut milk, dried tamarind, and salt.
Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Continuous stirring is important to ensure even cooking.
Simmer until the spice paste thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
Add the kerisik (coconut paste) and shredded turmeric leaves.
Stir a couple of times, then remove from heat.

Ayam Masak Merah/Chicken in Red Gravy 
Ingredients 
For the chicken 
½ kg chicken, cut into pieces 
½ tsp turmeric powder 
Salt, to taste 

To blend 
5 shallots 
5 garlic cloves 
½ inch ginger 
5 red chilies 
2 bird's eye chilies (optional)

Other ingredients 
1 large lemongrass stalk, smashed 
½ tbsp oyster sauce 
Kaffir lime leaves 
Lime juice, to taste 
1 small piece palm sugar 
Salt, to taste

Method 
Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. 
Heat enough oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken until golden brown. 
Remove and set aside.
Leave about 3-4 tbsp of oil in the same wok.
Add the blended paste and crushed lemongrass. 
Simmer and fry until aromatic and the oil starts to separate.
Put in the fried chicken, oyster sauce, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, palm sugar, and salt. 
Stir well to combine.
Remove from heat and serve.

Malay Style Chicken Chop 
Ingredients 
For the chicken chop 
2 medium-sized chicken fillets, flattened to even out the thickness 
Oil for frying 

Seasoning 
1 egg 
1 tbsp corn flour 
2 tbsp plain flour 
Pepper and salt, to taste

For the sauce 
2 tbsp butter 
5 tbsp chili sauce (or as needed) 
1 tbsp tomato sauce 
1 1/2 tbsp yogurt, lightly whisked to remove lumps

For the mashed potatoes 
2 medium-sized potatoes, simmered until tender and mashed 
1 tbsp butter 
Pepper and salt, to taste 
Spring onion, chopped, as needed

Method 
Heat oil in a frying pan.
Marinate the chicken fillets with egg, corn flour, plain flour, pepper, and salt for at least 2 hours.
Fry the marinated chicken fillets until crispy on the outside and cooked through inside. 
Remove and place on a serving plate.
In the same pan, melt butter and add all the ingredients for the sauce. 
Stir to combine.
Pour the sauce over the fried chicken pieces.
For the mashed potatoes, mix mashed potatoes with butter, pepper, salt, and chopped spring onion. 
Serve the chicken chops with mashed potatoes.